PS Vita TV launches in Japan, with no word on UK or US release

A version of the PlayStation Vita, Sony's PS Vita TV works on your big screen at home and has finally launched in Japan after being announced in September.

Instead of featuring a display screen, the small console connects to a television via HDMI. Gamers can play PSP, PSone and some PS Vita games using the PS Vita TV. It's also a streaming device for watching video from a "wide variety" of services.

Other specs include ports for Ethernet, USB, Vita game cards, Vita memory cards, as well as support for Wi-Fi. There's even 1GB of internal storage. Pre-orders opened in September, but the device is now available at major electronics stores in Japan for 9,950 yen (£62) or 14,990 yen bundled with a white DualShock 3 and 8GB memory card.

It was originally thought that the PS Vita TV would get only an Asian release: first in Japan, and then in China, Hong Kong and Korea in 2014. Sony has hinted however that the PS Vita TV could release in the UK, mainland Europe and US. There has yet to be an official release date announced, though.

Many believe that an initial release of PS Vita TV in Japan is meant to sate Japanese gamers, as they watch in envy when Sony launches the PlayStation 4 on 14 November in the US. The next-generation console is not coming out in Japan until 22 February.